2 Raptors who are underperforming, 2 exceeding expectations at the All-Star break
By Will Eudy
Exceeding expectations: Scottie Barnes
All year long, we have seen the meteoric rise to stardom that Scottie Barnes has taken. He is the unquestioned franchise player for the Raptors going forward, and he has proven that this season with his improvements in nearly all areas of his game.
Barnes has gone from a good player to a great player nearly overnight. But this is not too surprising. Many stars take a "third year leap" in the NBA, and Scottie has done just that. After winning rookie of the year in 2021-22, Barnes mainly plateaued in his second season, and some would argue that he took a slight step back.
But he heard the noise about him peaking as a rookie and put in the work to take his game to the next level. Scottie is doing nearly everything at a higher level now, but one of the most noticeable improvements is to his outside shot. He is now more than comfortable with shooting the three ball, and the fact that opponents now have to respect his shot is a game changer for Toronto.
Many expected Barnes to improve, but not many saw him taking this kind of leap. With Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby out of the picture, there is now zero question who the Raptors' best player is.